1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one of active elements constituting an LSI (large-scale integration), there is known an insulated-gate field-effect transistor (hereinafter referred to as “transistor”) which is typified by a MOS (metal oxide semiconductor) transistor or a MIS (metal insulator semiconductor) transistor. With further microfabrication of such transistors, the number of transistors in an LSI becomes enormous. Thus, in proportion to the number of transistors, the amount of heat produced by the LSI becomes greater. As a result, the lattice vibration of a crystal lattice of silicon, etc., which constitutes a transistor, becomes large, and the resultant thermal disturbance becomes a factor which decreases the mobility of electrons or holes (carriers).
Under the circumstance, there has been proposed a semiconductor device wherein a desired stress is applied to a channel region of a transistor, for example, by means of an insulating material, thereby improving the mobility of electrons or holes, which are carriers (see, for instance, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-63591).